VTP – VLAN Trunking Protocol

We are discussing a very interesting topic of switching i.e. VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol). By this blog, you can understand about VTP and role of VTP in switching. In this blog, we have discussed all things about VTP and work function.

VTP- VLAN Trunking Protocol:

The function of VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol) is used transfer VLAN information from one switch to another switch.

It is centralized VLAN management.

It is used multicast MAC address 0100.0CCC.CCCC for VTP updates (CDP,VTP, UDLD).

VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol) has three modes:

Server Mode

Client Mode

Transparent Mode

1. Server Mode

In this mode, we can add, remove and edit VLAN.

It is the default mode of VTP on most of the series of switches.

It saves VLAN information in the vlan.dat file in flash memory.

In this mode, VTP can generate VTP update.

It works as a relay agent.

Server mode supports an only normal range of VLAN.

2. Client Mode

In this mode we can&#39;t add, remove and edit VLAN.

It also stores information in its vlan.dat file.

It supports an only normal range of VLAN.

Client mode also works as a relay agent.

It can receive VLAN from another switch.

3. Transparent Mode

In this mode, we can add, remove or edit VLAN.

It is the default mode of VTP on some plate-form.

It doesn’t update its own VLAN database based on received VTP updates from its neighbors
switch.

It doesn’t forward its own VLAN information to any other switch and doesn’t generate VTP updates.

supports normal range VLAN as well as an extended range of VLAN.

It stores VLAN information in its vlan.dat file and also in running-configuration.

The transparent mode also works as a relay agent.

Criteria of VTP:

Trunking should be enabled between two switches.

VTP domain name must be matched.

VTP password must match (optional).

Types of VTP Update:

Triggered update

Periodic update

C.R. Number (Configuration Revision):

It is in 32 bits.

This number is always represented in decimal.

By default C.R. number is 0.

It will always increment by one whenever any VLAN added or removed in VLAN database.

Types of VTP messages:

Summary advertisement

Subset advertisement

Advertisement request from client

Summary Advertisement:

VTP server generate summary advertisement message in every 300sec and every time when
VLAN database change occurs.

It checks only C.R. number.

Contents of summary advertisement:

Domain name

Version

C.R. number

MD5 digest value (domain, password, CR number)

The total number of subset advertisement msg.

Subset Advertisement:

It contains actual information of VLAN changes.

It will generate when VLAN changes will occur.

Advertisement Request from Client:

Client switch might be reset and its VLAN database has cleared after that generate a client
advertisement request message and VTP server will respond with summary advertisement and
subset advertisement to bring it up to date.

VTP has three types of Version:

version1

version2

version3

In my next blog, we will discuss all three version of VTP in deeply with an ultimate guide.

2 COMMENTS

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